Islamist militants carried out separate attacks in northern Mali, targeting a passenger ferry and a military camp, resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians and soldiers. This region of the West African nation is increasingly under the control of armed groups.
According to the government’s statement, the attacks claimed the lives of at least 49 civilians and 15 soldiers, while the army reported killing approximately 50 assailants.
The Malian government identified the perpetrators as an affiliate of Al Qaeda. These attacks coincide with a surge in influence by Islamist groups in northern Mali, including the imposition of a blockade on Timbuktu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with historical Islamic significance.
Since mid-August, as a result of the blockade, over 33,000 individuals have been displaced, as reported by the United Nations.
The attack on the passenger ferry occurred on Thursday morning while it was navigating the Niger River. Just last Friday, the same river witnessed an attack on another boat, which resulted in the deaths of three individuals en route to Timbuktu.
Later in the day, assailants targeted a military camp in the neighboring region of Gao, marking the second attack within a span of hours.
Following the tragic attacks, the Malian government declared three days of national mourning.
The security situation in northern Mali has been deteriorating since last year when the country’s military rulers expelled a French military mission. Additionally, in June, they ordered the departure of a United Nations peacekeeping operation consisting of 13,000 personnel by year-end.
When the U.N. mission vacated two military camps in the Timbuktu region last month, insurgents swiftly enforced multiple blockades.
Analysts have drawn parallels between the current deteriorating security conditions in northern Mali and the 2012 conflict that resulted in an Islamist group’s temporary control over Timbuktu, establishing Shariah law.
Mali’s junta has formed an alliance with the Russian private paramilitary group Wagner, which has around 1,500 fighters present in the country. Reported by news sources, U.N. experts, and human rights organizations, civilian casualties have increased since Wagner began collaborating with the Malian military in early 2022.
Formerly led by Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, Wagner made headlines in June when Prigozhin orchestrated a brief mutiny in Russia, promptly calling it off, and subsequently dying in a plane crash last month that Western officials suspect was caused by an onboard explosion.
Recently, a Russian defense delegation traveled to Mali to meet with the country’s military leaders. Western diplomats suggest that this visit may be the Kremlin’s attempt to regain control over certain activities of the Wagner group.
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